Method for reducing rods and tubes.



L. H. BRINKMAN. METHOD FOR REDUCING RODS AND TUBES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 5, 1916.

Patented Oct. 28,1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET I Q4 IIVVENTOI? A TTOHNEY L. H. BRINKMAN. METHOD FOR REDUCING RODS AND TUBES.

APPLICATION FILED 05c. 6,1916.

Patented Oct. 28, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 w QM W W i M 9 w 7/. M W

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- LOUIS H. BRINKMAN, OF GLEN RIDGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO BALL ROLLED TUBE CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

METHOD FOR.REDOOING- RODS AND TUBES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs H. BRINKMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Glen Ridge, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods for Reducing Rods and Tubes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to methods for quickl accurately and inexpensively reducing tu es or rods. 7

Where a tube or rod is to be reduced by drawing it through a die, it becomes necessary to reduce the end of the tube or rod so that it may be entered within the die and secured to the apparatus by which it is to be pulled. The present invention is especially adapted for reductions of the ends of rods or tubes preparatory to the drawing operation but is not limited thereto.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method for reducing rods and tubes.

Other and ancillary objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention,

Fi re 1 is an end elevation of apparatus providing means for carrying out the method.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the die blocks of Fig. 1.

Fi 3 is a side elevation of the apparatus of Fig. 2, partly broken away to show sections thereof.

d Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the female 1e. diliig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the male Fig. 6 is a section'on the line 66 of one of the projections of the male die.

Fig. 7 is a section of the same projection but upon the'line 77 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of the other projection of the male die.

Fig. 9 is a section of the same projection but on the line 9-9.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of .a tube after it has been subjected to a; partial reduetion, and

Fig. 11 is a similar view of the tube after the reduction has been completed.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus comprises a base 1, having mounted therein Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 6, 1916. Serial No. 135.295.

a hydraulic cylinder 2, carrying the piston 3. Fluid under pressure may be admitted beneath the piston by means of a pipe 4.

The fluid may also be exhausted through this pipe when it is desired to allow the piston to lower, the admission and exhaust of the pressure fluid being efl'ected bymeans of a well known two-way cock-adapted to alternately connect the pressure source and the atmosphere with the pipe 4. Extending upwardly from the piston 3 is a post 5 carrying at its upper end a table 6, to which is secured a female die block 7 The table 6 slides upon and is guided by the upright posts 8 and 9 and these posts have fixed to them a plate or bar 10 to which'the male die 11 is secured.

The female die is provided with slots 12 and 13. The bottom of the slot 12 is of a width so that the bar or rod will fit within it and its bottom 14 forms a bed for receiving the tube or rod to be reduced. At 15 at one end of the bed the die is countersunk to permit the entrance of a portion of the rod or tube which is not reduced so that the reduced portion will be in proper alinement. The projection of the male die which enters within the slot 12 is split. In this case it is formed of two separate pieces 16 and 17 secured in a slot in the male die by means of set screws 18. The lower face of the projection is similarly formed to that of the bottom of the slot in the female die havingia bed 19 for receiving the tube or rod portion to be reduced, this bed 19 being opposite the bed 14, and a countersunln portion 20 at one end opposite the countersunk portion 15. The die blocks are'suitably limited in their movement toward each other by any suitable means as for instance bv the faces 21 and 22 of the blocks coming together. With the die blocks thus forced together, the beds 14 and 19 form a channel of oblong or elliptical cross section while the countersunk portions 15 and 20 inclose a chamber of substantially circular section. If therefore, a round tube equal to the width of the slot 12 be'laid on the bed 14 and the die blocks brought together, the tube will be reduced along one diameter and assume an elliptical shape as shown at 23 in Fig. 10, while the round section of the tube immediately adjacent the reduced portion will the projection from fit within the circular chamber formed by the countersunk portions 15 and 20, the axes or center lines of the reduced and unreduced portions of the tube being maintained in line.

The members 16 and 17 produce a split, longitudinally of the slot 12, in the pro ection which they form for the purpose of permitting the projection to expand laterally so as to make a tight fit against the slides of the slot 12. This expansion is brought about by the spreading actlon exerted on the projection parts by the rounded surfaces of the tube operated upon, the projection parts being made of metal of sufficient resilience to permit this. The expansion which occurs is a very small fraction of an inch and is for the purpose of permitting the male die to be easily entered within the slot of the female die and at the same time procure a tight fit when and where it is needed.

The slot 13, which is of a width corresponding to thesmallest diameter of the part 23 as produced by the action of the foregoing described parts, has a semi-circular shaped bed 24 at its bottom for receiving the portion of the tube to be reduced and a countersunk portion 25 at one end. The projection from the male die, consisting of the parts 26 and 27, has in its lower face a bed 28 opposite the bed 24: and a countersunk portion 29 opposite the countersunk portion 25. When the die blocks are brought together the semi-circular countersunk portions 25 and 29 will form a chainber of circular section and of such size that the unreduced portion of the tube adjacent to the reduced portion will fit therein, this chamber being of the same diameter as that formed by the countersunk portions 15 and 20 already referred to. The semi-circular shaped beds 24 and 28, however, will form a circular chamber of a diameter equal to the lesser diameter of the reduced portion 23 of the tube. The coming together of the dies therefore will produce a reduced portion of the tube of substantially circular section as shown at 30 in Fig. 11, the reduced portion being center-ed in line with the unreduced portion by the fitting of the end of the unreduced portion in the chamber formed by the countersunk surfaces 25 and 29. The splitting of the male projection longitudinally of the slot 13 by forming it of the parts 26 and 27 which are secured in place by the set screws 31, is for a purpose similar to that specified in connection with the proection parts 16 and 17, namely to permit expansion of the projections by the tube operated upon 'so as to form a tight fit'with the sides of the slot 13.

The operation of the machine may be traced as follows: The lower die block being in the position as shown, the end of the tube, which will usually 'be heated may be laid on the bed 14. Pressure then being admitted beneath the piston 3, the table 6 and lower die block 7 will'be forced upwardly until faces 21 and 22 comein contact. The chamber between the die blocks in the slot 12 will then be of a substantially elliptical section with a countersunk circular section at one end as before described.

The portion of the tube lying between the beds 14: and 19 will be reduced along a diameter substantially parallel to the sides of the slot 12 to substantially the desired dimension, the horizontal diameter of the tube not being materially changed, and the adjacent portion of the tube of circular section fitting into the socket formed by thecountersunk portions 20 and 15. The reduced and unreduced portions will thus be maintained with their axes in line. The reduced portion will be of substantially elliptical cross section, the tube with the reduced portion being substantially as shown in Fig. 10. The die blocks may then be separated by withdrawing pressure from beneath the piston 3 permitting the lower die block to fall. The tube as shown in Fig. 10 is then removed from the slot and turned about its axis through 90 from the position which it occupied in the slot 12. It is then placed in the slot 13, the majordiameter of the reduced portion being vertical and the minor diameter being crosswise of the slot. The slot is made of such width that the minor diameter will fit closely within it. The die blocks being again forced together, the major diameter of the reduced portion will be reduced to equal that of the minor diameter, the round section of the adjacent unreduced portion, of the tube fitting into the socket formed by the countersunk portions 25 and 29 and maintaining the axes of the reduced and unreduced portions in line. The tube will then be of a shape as shown in Fig. 11. The lower die block may then be dropped and the tube removed.

We operations may be. eflected on two' different tubes at the same time so that a reduced tube is completed with each stroke of the die. A tube of circular section to be reduced may be placed in the slot 12 while While the invention has been illustrated in what is considered its best application, it may have other embodiments without departing from its spirit and is not therefore limited to the precise details of the method as recited.

What I claim is 1. The method of reducing rods or tubes which consists in reducing to asubstantially and then completing the reduction to the size desired by a blow along a diameter at substantially 90 from the first.

4. The method of reducing rods or tubes which consists in striking successive blows along difierent diameters and holding the reduced diameters while succeeding blows are struck.

5. The method of reducing rods or tubes which consists in striking successive blows along difierent diameters, holding the reduced diameters while succeedin blows are struck, the axial alinement oi t e reduced and unreduced parts being maintained during the operation.

6. The method of reducing a circular rod or tube which consists in reducing one diametei to substantiallythe desired dimension, the resulting section being oblong, and strikin a blow along the major dimension to reduce it to the desired magnitude while holding the other-dimension previously reduced.

In testimony whereof I have sined this specification this 2th day of ovember,-

LOUIS H. BRINKMAN. 

